


Replaceable

by AJWrites1998



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Anxiety, Dad Scratchy, Sick Character, Sickfic, Yakko has anxiety also, i hope yall like sickfics cuz thats all ive got whoops, kind of a theatre au but its really just a means to an end tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:01:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJWrites1998/pseuds/AJWrites1998
Summary: Yakko will do whatever it takes to stay on track for his first theatre performance. Unfortunately, that's about to get a lot harder.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 69





	Replaceable

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my second sickfic for this fandom, so I hope y'all still enjoy my antics!
> 
> Warning for mentions of vomit
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic!

Yakko stands behind the stage, waiting for his cue. 

It’s two weeks before opening night on the newly founded Toon High’s production of Annie, and things are getting down to the wire. This was the tenth time they’d run this scene in this rehearsal as they tried to figure out a couple of lighting issues. 

This was easily Yakko’s favorite activity since they’d opened up the four-year toon school. Sure, most of his day was spent learning about the history of toons, and the integration with humans, and how to best use toon abilities, but that was nothing compared to the extra-curriculars. And yeah, sure, he’d been in TV his entire life, but this was something else entirely. This was theatre. And it was the most fun he’d ever had, even when running the same scene a billion times.

Today was weird, though. He’d felt off all day, like his head was stuffed with cotton. It was making it hard to think straight. Luckily, the only thing he’d had to do for the last hour was make his cue, but even that was getting harder.

His role was actually fairly fitting. He was playing the Daddy Warbucks to his sister Dot’s Annie. That wasn’t too far off to his actual life, minus the whole being-really-rich thing. Wakko was even starring as the dog, which completed their trio. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with on stage (and off, if you managed to piss them off.) 

He hears the line before he’s supposed to come in and heads onto the stage. He begins reciting his lines without even thinking about them. Memorization had never been too hard for him. After all, he was Mr. United States Canada Mexico Panama. He could recite from memory in his sleep (and according to his siblings, he often did.) 

That’s why it’s so weird to find Dot and the rest of the crew staring at him as if he hadn’t said anything at all when he walked out. It starts to dawn on him that maybe he hadn’t. He blinks, trying to remember where they are, when someone calls out, “Okay, five minute break, then back to these spots.” He shakes his head, trying to clear it, and moves to sit at the front of the stage with his legs dangling over the edge. 

“You okay, Yakko?” Dot asks, coming behind him and plopping down next to him. Wakko follows suit on his other side.

“Yeah, I just spaced out for a second. Probably just ran it too many times.” he excuses, though it’s getting to the point where he can’t ignore the growing pain in his head. He’s going to need a good nap in a couple of hours when rehearsal ends. Dot nods, leaning back to lay on the stage. Yakko coughs into his elbow a couple of times before grabbing his own water and taking a few sips. 

Whoever had said five minute break hadn’t been kidding. It seemed as though they hadn’t even left. Yakko rubs his eyes and coughs into his elbow again. He idly wonders if he’s getting sick. It would be a horrible time for it. Between the musical and his schoolwork, he didn’t have time to rest, and it was only going to get worse in the next week. 

He’s pulled from that thought by his cue again, and this time he actually says his line instead of just thinking it. They run the scene a couple times more before calling it. 

When they switch scenes to one he’s not in, he makes his way to the bathroom. As he pulls out some spare tissue to blow his nose, he tries not to come to any conclusions. He doesn’t have time to be sick. He hasn’t missed a rehearsal yet, and now would be a bad time to start. 

He splashes some water on his face in an attempt to wake himself up, but it doesn’t work. His brain still feels fuzzy. He makes his way back to the auditorium and plops down in the audience.

He could’ve sworn he only closed his eyes for a second, but then he was being shaken awake by his sister, who he’d last seen on stage checking the sound for Hard Knock Life. 

“Hey, we’re doing the adoption scene next, so they’re calling you to the stage. You feeling okay?” She asks, looking at him with concern.

“Yeah, just tired. Lotta homework and stuff.” he mumbles, pushing past her and making his way towards the stage. He hops on it, rubbing his face to wake himself up. 

When they’re done working that scene almost an hour later, the rehearsal finally ends. Yakko packs up his stuff and heads outside, meeting his brother and sister just outside the auditorium. They walk home together. Usually, Yakko takes the lead, his long legs propelling him faster than his siblings. Today, though, he lags far behind, enough so that his siblings keep stopping and waiting for him to catch up. It was taking too much out of him to walk, and he thinks he can hear a wheeze as he tries to catch his breath. 

When they finally make it back to the water tower, Yakko immediately collapses onto his bed. He only lays there for a few minutes before he realizes he should make sure his siblings have something to eat for dinner. He stumbles out of his room and into the kitchen. His siblings are playing video games on the couch. He doesn’t have a lot of energy, so he puts a pot of water on the stove, deciding to just make some ramen and move on. He swears he only put his head on the table for a second, but he startles awake when the timer pierces through his head, making him wince. 

He finishes the food, calling for his siblings to come and eat. He hopes they don’t notice that he didn’t make one for himself. He didn’t want to explain how not hungry he was. 

“You feeling alright, big bro?” Wakko asks.

“Yeah, you don’t look so good.” Dot agrees. 

Great, just what he needs, his siblings to be worried about him. 

“I’m fine, guys. I’m just tired.” he says, clearing his throat afterward in an attempt to hold down a cough. 

His siblings look like they want to say more, but he leaves the room before they can. 

He wants to just go to sleep, but he still has a mountain of homework to do. Why a school dedicated to teaching toons about their own abilities came with so much written homework, Yakko would never understand, but here they were. He pushes himself over to his desk. 

He works for a while, until he finally gives out and finds his eyes almost unable to stay open. According to the clock, it’s almost one in the morning. He checks in on his siblings, both already asleep. He falls over on his bed, falling asleep almost immediately. 

When he wakes up again, he’s shivering despite the three blankets he’d pulled onto his bed just before lying down. He’s nauseous, and it’s only growing by the second. He sits up, noting that the clock reads 3 am. Only two hours since he’d gone to bed, and three until he has to wake up. 

He finds himself rushing to the bathroom. He doesn’t remember the last thing he ate, probably the school cafeteria’s pizza for lunch yesterday, but it’s coming back up now. He groans, hoping he doesn’t wake his siblings. 

All hope is lost when he hears a voice from the door. 

“Yakko?” It’s Dot. Upon looking, he finds Wakko is there too. 

“Oh, uh. Hey.” he says, his voice more hoarse than he remembered it being before. He’s also still shaking. He can’t imagine this is a good scene to walk into. His siblings make their way over to him despite the small bathroom. 

“He’s burning up. Should we get someone to help?” Dot asks after placing a hand on his forehead. She’s clearly addressing Wakko, but he answers instead.

“No, no, I’m fine. Just go back to bed.” He instructs, although he has to admit it doesn’t sound very convincing.

“Yakko, you made me stay home when I had a fever last month!” Dot argues.

“Yeah, and when I had that stomachache you made me stay home too!” Wakko agrees.

“It’s different. If I don’t go to class, I can’t go to rehearsal, and we only have two weeks before we go on, I can’t afford to miss anything. Just go back to bed, and I’ll see you both in the morning.” He says, standing up. He only stumbles a little bit as he stands, then guides them out of the bathroom, only leaning on them a little. “Goodnight.” he says definitively as he falls back onto his bed, closing his eyes.

When he opens his eyes again, there’s a glass of water on his bedside. He regrets being so mean to his siblings when they were just worried about him. He sips at the water for a while before going back to sleep.

He wakes up again with just enough time to throw his clothes on. He had planned on making breakfast for his siblings, but he finds Wakko putting finished waffles on a plate as he walks into the kitchen. He gives a soft smile when he sees Yakko. 

“Feeling any better?” he asks as he sets the plate in front of Dot. 

“Y-yeah, I...did you make breakfast?” he asks, kind of stunned. 

“We did, but we didn’t know if you’d be hungry, so we made you some soup in this thermos.” Dot says as Wakko holds it up and hands it to him. Yakko wants to cry.

“Thanks, guys.” he says, his voice breaking either from emotions or sickness, he can’t tell which. He doesn’t know what else to say. 

He sits down at the table with them. He rests his head on his hands, and he doesn’t think he fell asleep, but a second later his siblings are dressed and shaking him awake. 

“We’re gonna head out now, sleepyhead. You sure you don’t want to stay here?” Dot asks. 

“Yeah, I’m coming.” he says, shaking his head to wake himself up. It makes him a little dizzy and his head throbs a bit, but it does wake him up. He stands to follow his siblings out the door. 

Despite the fact that he has to stop three times on the short walk, he makes it to class relatively on time. He does not, however, pay attention through it at all. 

What he really hates is the fact that his siblings are worried about him. At lunch, they make sure he eats at least a few bites of the soup they made him. They keep giving him looks throughout the classes, and he feels a little guilty. 

When it finally gets to rehearsal, he’s exhausted. He’s having trouble standing, and he still can’t seem to think straight, and that’s just as he walks into the auditorium. He sheds his school bags on the floor and slumps down in his chair. 

“Uh, big bro? I hate to bother you, but...well, I need you to try this on.” Yakko opens his eyes to see Wakko. In addition to playing the dog, Wakko was also the costumer, and the show getting closer to opening meant Wakko was closer to finishing the costumes. Which meant he needed Yakko to put on the suit he was holding to make sure it fit. Which meant Yakko needed to stand up. He only groans slightly, trying to keep his brother from worrying any further.

“Sure, baby bro!” he says with every bit of enthusiasm he can muster. He takes the suit to the bathroom and tries to stand up long enough to put it on. He manages to get it on, at least, and shows Wakko, who makes a few adjustments before instructing him to take it back off. He changes again, now even more exhausted. He’s shivering again. 

By the time that’s done, he’s getting called to the stage. He can feel his energy draining by the second, but he makes his way there anyways. 

The first three times they run the scene, he’s doing okay. Sure, he has to fight to remember his lines, and he’s getting nauseous again, but at least he’s warming up. In fact, it’s getting a little too hot under the lights. He’s starting to sweat and shiver at the same time. It’s uncomfortable, but he can’t dwell on it if he’s going to keep up with the scene.

The fourth time they run it, he’s not doing as good. He starts out okay, his first line landing, if a little slurred. He’s starting to lose the ability to keep up with the conversation, even though it’s scripted. His second line is slower than he usually says it. It’s hot, and bright, and he squints to try and see past the brightness of the lights filling his vision. He steps forward to hit his blocking, but he sways as he does it, struggling to breathe through his mouth as his nose is too stuffed up. For a second he thinks the brightness of the lights is dying down. Then, he realizes it’s just the edges of his vision going black.

He knows he’s missed a line. They’re staring at him. He opens his mouth to apologize, to tell them he just needs to sit down for a second, but then everything goes black. 

He wakes up on the ground, his head throbbing even more. There’s some muffled shouting, but it seems far away. He sees his siblings standing over him, their faces lined with concern as they peer down at him. He sits up on weak arms that threaten to give out, but he tries to stand anyway. He figures if he just gets back up and moves on, it’ll be like it never happened. His plan fails when he sways dizzily and falls back to his knees. 

This time, his siblings catch him and help him back down.

“Yakko? Can you hear me?” Wakko asks. He starts to realize the room’s been cleared of anyone but them and the director, who’s just standing by the door. He nods slowly, and he watches both of his siblings let out a breath. 

“I’m...fine...where’d everyone go?” he asks, looking around at the empty auditorium. He coughed, unable to hold it back.

“They’re taking a break outside. You passed out, so Scratchy’s coming to take you home. We’ll get your stuff when we’re done with rehearsal.” Dot explains, and he starts shaking his head.

“No, no, I...I’m supposed to be here, I...I don’t want to be replaced...I don’t want to be worthless.” he says, his chest feeling tighter. His siblings exchange worried looks. Dot opens her mouth to speak, but the director chooses that moment to call out that it was time for him to go, and Yakko tries again to stand up. 

“Yakko-” Wakko says, but Yakko inadvertently coughs, stopping his brother. It makes him sad, he wanted to hear what his siblings had to say, but they were silent until they helped him into the golf cart Scratchy was driving around the set. 

“I’m sorry, guys.” He croaks out. 

“Get some rest. We can talk more after you sleep, okay?” Dot says, and Wakko nods earnestly. Yakko wants to cry. He knows he doesn’t deserve siblings like them. 

He’s not very conscious for the duration of the ride back. He’d meant to watch Wakko and Dot until they went back into the auditorium safely, but now they’re almost back to the tower and he didn’t remember it at all.

Dr. Scratchansniff hasn’t said anything since he got in the cart. Yakko supposes he doesn’t blame him. Their relationship was a bit weird. Technically, Scratchy was responsible for the three of them in the eyes of the studio, so it makes sense that he would be the one to take Yakko home after something like this. Yakko had always liked Scratchy, even. He was the closest he and his siblings had come to a parental figure, and he was the only person who stuck up for them constantly. Despite that, and actually because of it, they drive him up the wall constantly. He hoped they made it obvious that they actually cared for him, but he couldn’t be sure, and he really didn’t want to have that conversation right now, when he felt like this.

It isn’t until they pull up to the front of the tower that Scratchy asks him if he needs help getting to the top. The staircase was long, and even more daunting now that he didn’t have a lot of physical energy. Still, he shakes his head, which admittedly makes him a bit dizzy. Scratchy gives him a look he’d never seen before, and he couldn’t quite place it, but let Yakko go up the stairs ahead of him. By the time they reach the top, Yakko is out of breath, wheezing again. He stumbles to his bed, almost unaware of Scratchy following behind him. He thinks Scratchy says something, or maybe asks him a question, but he’s out before he can process anything. 

\------------------------------------------------

Yakko is burning. He wonders if he’s actually, physically on fire, but he can’t seem to focus long enough to tell. He feels sweaty and gross and warm and cold and he doesn’t know what’s happening. He tries to sit up, but there’s a block on his chest, something big, keeping him down. He coughs trying to move it. He can’t even see it.

He wonders where he is. He can’t quite tell. Every thought seems just out of reach. 

Then, there’s a bright light. He gasps, realizing he’s standing on a stage. That might be why he’s so hot. Those stage lights feel like they’re going to burn right through him. He coughs, and suddenly there are faces there, looking at him. 

There are so many eyes on him. The people on the stage are looking at him expectantly, angrily. Had he missed his line? Dot, Wakko, the other actors, and some stagehands glare at him. He’s ruining the show.

He feels the eyes of trillions of audience members, multiplying as he blinks out past the stage lights and squints. They’re all angry, too. He falls to his knees, feeling like he’s gonna throw up. His mouth kind of tastes like he already did.

He feels a hand on his back, and he looks back to see someone he doesn’t recognize. Someone that kind of looks like him. The unknown guy helps him up and off the stage. As soon as he’s sitting down, the other guy takes over his role, scooping up Dot and finishing his line. That’s not fair, he thinks, and tries to get up, but it’s like there’s an invisible force keeping him down. That’s HIS sister, he thinks. 

He blinks a couple of times, and suddenly they’re not on stage anymore, they’re in the water tower, but the guy is still talking to his siblings. Dot is blushing, and Wakko is grinning with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. As soon as Yakko takes a step over, all three sets of eyes train on him angrily, as if he wasn’t welcome with his only family.

He’d been replaced. He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t believe he’d let it happen.

He woke up screaming.

\-----------------------------------

Dr. Otto Scratchansniff is concerned, to say the least. He’d known the Warner siblings for years, and he had never seen one of them like this. Yakko was despondent. His shoulders slumped as he made his way to his bed, and although Scratchy followed, he was unable to get the boy to answer his questions about when he had started feeling bad and whether or not he’d had any medicine. He assumed that Yakko had not taken anything, but he couldn’t be sure. He decides he’ll wait until Yakko has gotten some sleep before trying anything.

He pulls out the first aid kit he’d brought with him and reaches for the thermometer. He didn’t figure the Warners would have one ready to go. He’d never seen them need anything like that before, so he’d come prepared. He runs it over Yakko’s forehead and winces as he reads the numbers on the LED screen: 101 even. The poor kid. He’d definitely pushed himself too hard if he’d gone to school all day like this. He’s even whimpering in his sleep, and it breaks the doctor’s heart. He’s used to the Warner siblings bouncing off the walls, taking everything he said literally and doing their best to make him angry. He knew it was their way of saying they loved him. They reminded him a lot with their words and their smaller actions. When something was wrong, they usually came to him for help. He’d never seen anything like this, though. 

He digs through the kit, checking what kind of medicine is in it. It’s just a few ibuprofens. He makes a mental note to go to the store and get some stronger medication when the other siblings get home and he can refrain from leaving the sick kid alone. He gets a glass of water out as well. He remembers the younger Warners telling him the last thing the kid had eaten was the soup they’d made that morning, so he goes to see if there’s any left. Luckily, there is, and he warms it up. 

He goes to wake up Yakko, who looks like his sleep isn’t so restful. He turns the light on, which Yakko hisses at, so he turns it back off and fumbles over to his bedside. Yakko coughs and tries to sit up, though it doesn’t seem he’s awake. He takes the opportunity to help him sit up, planning on helping him drink some water, but instead Yakko bolts upright and out of bed, rushing to the bathroom. He falls on his knees in front of the toilet, retching into the bowl as Scratchy rushes in behind him. He sets a gentle hand on Yakko’s back and winces at the heat coming from it. It strikes him that Yakko’s fever might have gotten worse. He helps Yakko back to bed.

“Dot!” Yakko screams, and he tries to sit up, but Scratchy holds him back down. He whimpers, “Wakko?” Scratchy’s heart almost breaks. 

“They’re okay, Yakko, they’re just still at rehearsal. Everyone is okay.” he says, trying to be comforting, but Yakko doesn’t seem to hear him. 

The poor kid starts breathing harder, and it’s making him cough. Scratchy helps him take some of the medicine and a drink of water, then lays a cool rag on his forehead. He’s still almost panicking in his sleep, and he won’t wake up. 

Scratchy is just about to call for a doctor when the kid screams.

\----------------------------

Yakko tries to catch his breath, coughing in between. He’s aware of Scratchy next to him, taking him through deep breathing, and he does his best to follow along. When he can finally breathe, he takes in his surroundings. He’s in his own bed, in his own room. He’s safe. None of that had happened. He takes a final deep breath, then looks at Scratchy, who’s concerned.

“Sorry.” he says sheepishly, “A nightmare. I’m fine.” He doesn’t really feel fine. He feels like his insides are jelly and his limbs don’t work. He tries to grab for the water glass, but his hands shake so badly Scratchy has to help him. It makes him feel weak. 

“I’m going to get the nurse to take a look at you.” Scratchy says, and Yakko can’t think of a single funny response. He just feels embarrassed that anyone has to see him like this, especially those two. When he doesn’t answer, Scratchy continues, “I’m just going to go to the office and get her, will you be okay by yourself for a minute?” 

Yakko nods, curling back up into himself as he lays back down. He hears the door close. 

His bedside clock reads 5 pm, which means it’s another two hours before his siblings would be back. He wants to sleep through it, but his brain is moving too fast now, pounding against his head. He tries not to think about how he’s being replaced. He wonders what’s happening there right now, now that he’s away. He tries to reach for his phone to see if he could get in touch with his siblings, but he’d left his stuff back at the auditorium. He supposes it doesn’t matter much, his siblings would be too busy with the rehearsal to respond, anyways. He sighs, which led him to cough, which led him to feel bad about himself again. 

He drifts to sleep, still thinking about his replacement. 

\--------------------------

When he wakes up again, Scratchy is there, sitting next to his bed in a chair. It’s 7pm, meaning his siblings will be home soon. He coughs and tries to sit up, but his arms are weak. Scratchy sees him and helps him sit up.

“Oh, good, you’re awake. You slept through the nurse’s visit. It seems you’ve got a nasty flu, but I’m going to run and get you some better medicine when your siblings arrive, so hopefully you’ll be feeling better in no time.” Scratchy says. Yakko nods. He’s just ready for his siblings to come home and for the night to be over so it can be like it never happened. “I would like to stay with you tomorrow while they’re at school, as well, if that’s okay with you.”

Yakko’s chest tightens. He hadn’t thought about it, but he supposes they would be wanting him to stay home. He hadn’t exactly proved himself to be okay over the last few hours. Still, the last thing he wanted was to be gone for too long. 

“How...how long do you think I’ll have to sit out?” he asks hoarsely. 

“You’re on three days bedrest, then another two day to make sure you’re good to go.” Scratchy says, giving him a smile full of pity. 

“So a whole week?!” he exclaims, which makes him burst into a coughing fit. Unfortunately, this is when his siblings decide to walk in. He takes the water he’s being offered as Wakko and Dot walk into the room timidly. He can’t help it, though, he has to keep going. “I can’t stay home all week. I have so much to do, and the production is just two weeks away, I can’t miss half of that time!” He says, being careful to not be too loud, lest he succumb to the coughing again.

“I’m sorry Yakko, it’s unfortunate but-” Scratchy starts to say, but Yakko cuts him off.

“I don’t need to rest, I need to practice.” He knows it sounds dramatic, but he can’t help it. “I’m fine.” There’s a second of silence.

“Yakko Warner don’t you DARE tell me you’re fine.” Dot says, eerily calm. All eyes turn to her as he is taken aback. “You keep saying you’re fine, but you’re not! I had to watch you pass out! I can’t do that again!” She says, getting louder as she does. A tear forms in her eye. Wakko nods solemnly behind her. 

Yakko shrinks down, speechless, a rare feat for the oldest Warner. He hadn’t thought about it that way. 

“I….I’m sorry, guys.” he says after a minute, “I just...don’t want to be replaced. It’s not fair.” He says softly. 

“Oh, Yakko...you know theatre doesn’t work that way, right?” Wakko asks, jumping up on the bed. Dot follows. 

“I...if they replace my role, they’ll replace me and then you’ll leave me and I’ll be alone.” He starts to sob, his already stuffed up nose starting to run. Wakko hands him a tissue from the bedside table. Dot gives Scratchy a look.

“I will go and get medicine, I’ll be right back.” he nods at Dot. Yakko curls in closer to himself. The younger Warner siblings curl up on either side of him. 

“Yakko, you’ll have a stand-in this week, but whoever it is won’t even get on stage. Your spot is ready as soon as you come back. And even if, for some unknown reason, you were to get replaced for the role, which you’re not, the two of us would never leave you.” Dot says. Yakko relaxes a little bit, looking at them. “Where did you even get that idea?!” 

Yakko chuckles a bit, starting to realize how ridiculous it sounds. He blows his nose, still sounding stuffed up when he says, “I don’t know. I had a dream...” 

“Yeah, well, one time I had a dream I was an octopus,” Wakko chimes in, “That didn’t make me an octopus. Sadly.” Yakko chuckles, holding both of them a bit closer. 

“I know it’s irrational, I just...I love you guys. And I want to be a good big brother for you.”

“You are!” Dot says.

“You’re the best big brother!” Wakko adds. Yakko smiles at them. 

“Thanks, guys.” He sniffs. They snuggle close to him, and for the first time he feels a little bit better. 

And a week later, when Yakko gets back on stage with his siblings as they prepare for opening night, he feels as good as new.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked it, please leave a comment letting me know what you liked about it, and let me know if you'd be interested in reading more like this! 
> 
> Have a great day!!


End file.
